Someone who dislikes being told what to do can be called independent, strong-willed, stubborn, or rebellious, often driven by a psychological reaction called psychological reactance, which triggers resistance when they feel their freedom is threatened, though in more extreme cases, it might relate to Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), notes Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, Quora, and the Child Mind Institute.
Reactance can occur when an individual senses that someone is trying to compel them to do something; often the individual will offer resistance and attempt to extricate themselves from the situation. Some individuals are naturally high in reactance, a personality characteristic called trait reactance.
oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Scientists have a term for this: psychological reactance. Psychological reactance is our brain's response to a threat to our freedom. Threats to freedom include any time someone suggests or makes you do something.
Psychologists call that little twinge of resistance, that stubborn urge to do the opposite of what you're told, reactance. Simply, psychological reactance is a strong reaction we have when we feel someone is threatening our freedom to choose.
Reverse psychology, or strategic self-anticonformity, is a common manipulation technique that involves advocating for a behavior or belief that is different from the one desired in order to get what you want or convince someone to do what is actually desired.
a word with two opposite meanings. More familiar examples of antagonyms are cleave, which can mean either "cut apart" or "stick together"; and fast, as in "run fast" versus "hold fast." Barbara Wallraff, Times Union (Albany, New York), 18 Nov.
In simpler terms, ADHD counterwill is when someone with ADHD instinctively resists being told what to do, even if the task is something they might normally agree to. This isn't just a matter of being stubborn; it's a deeper, almost automatic reaction to the perception of being controlled or coerced.
Adult rebellion takes place when an adult *feels* like someone has psychological control over them. They're rebelling against the voice in their heads that is telling them what to do and is still able to control their thoughts and behaviors.
When someone tells you to do something, it feels like they are choosing your behavior for you. Taking orders from another person can feel like sacrificing control and being in a one-down position of weakness.
There's no single "hardest" mental illness, but Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Schizophrenia, and severe/treatment-resistant conditions like depression or bipolar disorder are frequently cited due to extreme emotional volatility, distorted reality, profound functional impairment, and significant impact on relationships and daily life, making them incredibly challenging to live with and manage. The difficulty often stems from intense internal pain, difficulty regulating emotions, social isolation, and the pervasive nature of symptoms.
Fregoli syndrome is the belief that a stranger or acquaintance is someone you know in disguise. This condition is named after a famous Italian actor known for his impersonations and fast, on-stage costume changes. Fregoli syndrome causes paranoia, anxiety and agitation.
People with paranoid personality disorder (PPD) are always on guard, believing that others are constantly trying to demean, harm or threaten them.
But oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) includes a frequent and ongoing pattern of anger, irritability, arguing and defiance toward parents and other authority figures. ODD also includes being spiteful and seeking revenge, a behavior called vindictiveness.
A loquacious person talks a lot, often about stuff that only they think is interesting. You can also call them chatty or gabby, but either way, they're loquacious.
: love of knowledge. specifically : excessive striving for or preoccupation with knowledge.
Here are the five key signs that distinguish ODD from typical adult behavior.
The most rebellious personality types include the ENTP, INTP, ESTP, and ISTP, while some of the least rebellious are the ISFJ, ESFJ, ESTJ, and ISTJ. Each personality type is somewhere on the spectrum of rebelliousness versus obedience, and there is no right or wrong way to be.
In this theory, there are four main components that ultimately relate to behavior change: Self-efficacy, Outcome expectations, Psychosocial factors, and Goals. Each one contributes, in some degree, to peoples' participation and ultimately success in behavior change.
The ADHD "30% Rule" is a guideline suggesting that executive functions (like self-regulation, planning, and emotional control) in people with ADHD develop about 30% slower than in neurotypical individuals, meaning a 10-year-old might function more like a 7-year-old in these areas, requiring adjusted expectations for maturity, task management, and behavior. It's a tool for caregivers and adults with ADHD to set realistic goals, not a strict scientific law, helping to reduce frustration by matching demands to the person's actual developmental level (executive age) rather than just their chronological age.
A command implies criticism.
When someone tells you to change your behavior, they're implicitly telling you that your current behavior is not good enough. Each of us wants to believe that what we're doing is right, so this suggestion can feel like a criticism.
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Enantiosemy is usually described as the phenomenon whereby through which a semiotic form allows semantically opposed interpretations (see Böhmerová 1997, Larue-Tondeur 2009, Legallois 2013): e.g. hôte in French ("the one who receives" or, conversely," the one who is invited ").
A contronym or contranym is a word with two opposite meanings. For example, the word cleave can mean "to cling" or "to split apart". This feature is also called enantiosemy, enantionymy (enantio- means "opposite"), antilogy or autoantonymy.
Romantic words starting with 'D': Desire, Devotion, Delight, Darling, Dreamy, Dazzle, Dearest, Delicate, Destiny, Deeply.